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The emissions, deposition, and chemistry of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are thought to be influenced by underlying landscape heterogeneity at intermediate horizontal scales of several hundred meters across different forest subtypes within a tropical forest. Quantitative observations and scientific understanding at these scales, however, remain lacking, in large part due to a historical absence of canopy access and suitable observational approaches. Herein, horizontal heterogeneity in VOC concentrations in the near-canopy atmosphere was examined by sampling from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flown horizontally several hundred meters over the plateau and slope forests in central Amazonia during the morning and early afternoon periods of the wet season of 2018. Unlike terpene concentrations, the isoprene concentrations in the near-canopy atmosphere over the plateau forest were 60% greater than those over the slope forest. A gradient transport model constrained by the data suggests that isoprene emissions differed by 220 to 330% from these forest subtypes, which is in contrast to a 0% difference implemented in most present-day biosphere emissions models (i.e., homogeneous emissions). Quantifying VOC concentrations, emissions, and other processes at intermediate horizontal scales is essential for understanding the ecological and Earth system roles of VOCs and representing them in climate and air quality models.
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Optimization and Representativeness of Atmospheric Chemical Sampling by Hovering Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Over Tropical Forests
Abstract Atmospheric chemical species play critical roles in ecosystem functioning and climate, but spatially resolving near‐surface concentrations has been challenging. In this regard, hovering unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) represent an emerging technology. The study herein provides guidance for optimized atmospheric sampling by hovering copter‐type UAVs. Large‐eddy simulations are conducted for species having chemical lifetimes ranging from reactive (i.e., 102s) to long‐lived (i.e., 108s). The case study of fair‐weather conditions over an equatorial tropical forest is used because of previous UAV deployments in this region. A framework is developed of influence length and horizontal shift of upwind surface emissions. The framework quantifies the length scale of the contribution of upwind forest emissions to species concentrations sampled by the downwind hovering UAV. Main findings include the following: (1) sampling within an altitude that is no more than 200 m above the canopy is recommended for both high‐ and intermediate‐reactivity species because of the strong decrease in species concentration even in a highly turbulent atmosphere; (2) sampling durations of at least 5 and 10 min are recommended for intermediate‐ and high‐reactivity species, respectively, because of the effects of atmospheric turbulence; and (3) in the case of heterogeneity of emissions across the underlying landscape, maximum recommended altitudes are presented for horizontal sampling strategies that can resolve the variability in the landscape emissions. The coupled effects of emission rate, wind speed, species lifetime, turbulence, and UAV sampling duration on influence length must all be considered for optimized and representative sampling over forests.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1829025
- PAR ID:
- 10362449
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Earth and Space Science
- Volume:
- 8
- Issue:
- 4
- ISSN:
- 2333-5084
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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